Heart valve issues Archive

Growing numbers of people have microvascular disease, which is caused by problems in the network of tiny blood vessels in the heart rather than blockages in the heart's major arteries. Evidence for this trend comes from large studies using diagnostic imaging tests coupled with heart disease registry data. Experts believe today's higher rates of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic kidney disease is changing how cardiovascular disease is manifested.

In a 2025 analysis involving about 200 million people, those who used cannabis had a 29% higher risk for sudden heart attacks or angina and twice the risk of premature death from cardiovascular disease, compared with people who didn't use cannabis.

There are no medications to treat aortic stenosis (narrowing of the aortic valve), but several possibilities are currently being studied, including a class of drugs to treat diabetes and others that lower high lipoprotein(a) blood levels.

Few people get the recommended two fruits and three vegetables per day. Tips for helping people add more produce into their diets include starting small (making just one minor addition or substitution at a time and sticking with it for several weeks); choosing smarter snacks (like hummus and carrots or apples and peanut butter); sneaking pureed vegetables into pasta and other dishes; making smoothies and soups; and relying on frozen fruits and vegetables.

Lowering high levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad” cholesterol, is important for preventing and treating heart disease. The other cholesterol—high-density lipoprotein (HDL)—is often called “good” cholesterol, but this may be misleading. While some HDL particles gather excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and artery walls and deliver it to the liver where it's excreted, other particles are not good at this job, and some can even increase levels. People should focus on their LDL and not focus as much on HDL unless it’s very low or very high.

A 2025 study found that people who walk at an average or brisk pace (3 or more miles per hour) were less likely to develop abnormal heart rhythms than people who walk more slowly.

People whose average daily diets included at least 18 grams of fiber were less likely to have a stroke than those who ate less fiber, according a 2025 study.

A 2025 suggests that an experimental drug called lorundrostat may be an effective add-on therapy for high blood pressure that has not responded to medication. The drug works by reducing aldosterone, a hormone that helps regulate blood pressure.

If a blood clot lodges in an artery or vein, it can choke off blood flow to the heart, brain, or lung. Often called blood thinners, anti-clotting drugs play a big role in treating heart disease. But they can cause minor (and sometimes serious) bleeding, ranging from nosebleeds to bleeding inside the brain. New solutions to balance clot prevention and excess bleeding are in the works, including low-dose drug combinations and new medications.

A 2025 randomized controlled trial found that GLP-1 receptor agonists, the blockbuster drugs approved to treat diabetes and obesity, boosted the walking ability of people with diabetes and peripheral artery disease (PAD) in the legs. The news is encouraging, since there are few effective treatments for PAD-reduced blood flow in the limbs that leads to pain with activity. However, it will take more evidence before doctors feel comfortable prescribing GLP-1s if a person only has PAD.